Uh oh, it looks like the Smallest Art Gallery has some new competition with this Instagram Gallery - which is, no joke, an iPod Nano mounted to a wall showing photos from Instagram. Assuming this is somehow hooked up to a web interface and actually loading new images, I must say it's a pretty neat idea. Though, if you wanted to swipe through the images you'd probably end up knocking the Nano off the wall on accident!

Caught a screening (on my iPad) of Sofia Coppola's Somewhere last night and enjoyed it. Coppola has a real knack for taking actors you think one thing about and turning it around. Dorff did a fine job of portraying the empty party lifestyle that only has substance when his daughter is around. The end was a bit ho-hum in my opinion but I enjoyed the slow pace of observing his doldrum filled life. Is it maybe a retreading of familiar ground from Lost in Translation but not quite as good? Possibly. Regardless, it's a film worth seeing on a cold night when you're ready for a slow slice-of-life tale.

Observations from the film:

• I hope Coppola doesn't take quite as many years to make another film.
• Chris Pontius can 'act' - in as much as he spouts off just like you'd expect Chris Pontius to.
• The soundtrack is strong - this is no surprise.
• Sofia Coppola loves it when characters mumble.

Long story short, if it plays near you.. it's worth a viewing.

The other night I caught a showing of Blue Valentine; the supposedly controversial love story from Derek Cianfrance starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. While I liked the movie, I am baffled by how it was controversial or, really, even regarding in such a critical manner. The sexual aspects of the movie are not jarring or any more over the top than loads of other movies - the review board must have been having a bad day when they originally gave it NC-17. Beyond that, it's the telling of an abusive relationship - albeit a more realistic one than you typically see in movies. When things go sour it isn't even particularly unsettling as a viewer because you have no investment in the couple or understanding what their bond is. Sure, you see how they originally get together but it seems just as tumultuous as any other day between them. Overall, a quality watch but not exactly the crushing tale you'd expect going in.

As you should do every year, take some time today to read the entirety of the I Have A Dream speech courtesy of Martin Luther King, Jr (or watch the video if that's more your speed). It's great that our society has made as much progress as it has in terms of civil rights thanks to the likes of Dr. King but there's still a long way to go. These words from Robert F. Kennedy the day after King's murder ring as true today as when they were originally spoken.

Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.

For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter.

This is the breaking of a man’s spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all.

It may seem like just another holiday today but there's more to the remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. than any other day-off-work; an underlying message that's good to be reminded of early in the year so as to drive us all through the remainder of 2011.

Abandoned buildings of any sort are always a fascinating topic but put together a couple photo series of abandoned amusement parks and I'm completely engaged. NileGuide has two such compilations that should be perused: 8 Abandoned Theme Parks Abroad and 8 Abandoned American Theme Parks. I tend to think that the parks abroad are a bit more intriguing but, then again, there's no denying the Prehistoric Forest in Irish Hills Michigan. Long story short, it doesn't matter where they're located, abandoned amusement parks are strange, sad, surreal places.

Typically I am wary of design exercises in which movies / music are reinvisioned and/or oversimplified but the Four Icon Challenge from Kyle Tezak is the exception to the rule. Great icon design, good color palettes and, most notably, an effective representation of the subject matter.

via Drudgeons.

I'm enjoying this series of blogger portraits courtesy of Gabriela Herman. She has plenty of great photography work in her portfolio but I think these particular portraits are something we can all relate to on some level - blogger or not. Right? Right.

New episode of Bob's Burgers last night and it's still entertaining. Should be interesting to see if they can keep it up all season. If you aren't fully intrigued yet.. please keep the following new-to-me facts in mind:

• Linda, the mom on the show, is voiced by John Roberts.. most famously known for his New Jersey mom in "The Christmas Tree."
• The original character design on the show is by Jay Howell.. so if they look a bit familiar. That's why.

Slow week but there are some gems in the playlist.. enjoy.

• Palin's Breath - courtesy of Wreck and Salvage comes a montage of Palin breathing during her latest speech.. it's bizarre.
• Larry Griswold - stick with this.. it's entertaining from start to finish; just deal with the rough quality.
• Weightless Cats - some may find this to be abusive in some way but there's a bit of education to it.. interesting to see how animals react to a wireless environment. Basically, the same way a human would if they had no idea a weightless environment was headed their way.
• Michael Caine does Michael Caine - I posted this on Twitter previously so maybe it's old news to you but I wanted it stored here for proper documentation.. Michael Caine impersonating himself.
• A Brief History of Conspicuous Product Placement in Movies - it's a bit long but it's interesting to see the myriad of examples they've compiled.. particularly from the 1980's onward.
• Heil Honey I'm Home - this is an actual episode of a British sitcom from 1990 that takes the concept of the Honeymooners but replaces the lead characters with Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. Their neighbors? A Jewish couple. I shouldn't be surprised this existed but I am. via Paul.

I wish I had some sort of palette cleanser for you after that Hitler sitcom but all I've got is this. Will that suffice? Hope so.

Have a great weekend.

One of my favorite musicians, Richard Swift, runs a Tumblr in which he posts random mixes, photos, demos and, more often than not, various doodles. While I find musings like this rather entertaining, I'm loving his latest - Skull Mouths series. Yet another reason to follow along with him on Tumblr.

Did you know Michel Gondry directed The Green Hornet with Seth Rogen and Jay Chou? Yea, it's a weird match-up. An even odder combo is the fact that Gondry directed last nights episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. You can watch it in its entirety on YouTube. Less surprising than the fact that Gondry is behind what looks to be a run-of-the-mill Hollywood blockbuster movie is that the Kimmel episode is pretty engaging - a bizarre monologue, stylized credits, a giant Seth Rogen head, a Green Hornet desk and even Gondry himself on stage during the band performance directing the audience. Oh, and this street piece - which isn't particularly weird, just amusing.

Maybe it's morbid but I find Chernobyl to be a fascinating subject matter. Granted, the 1986 accident that destroyed the entire city is no laughing matter but it's such an isolated incident that you can't help but be intrigued. Flavorwire posted a nice image gallery from photographer David Schindler documenting his recent visit to the city; some 25 years later.

Gallery 1988 has posted images from their latest show - Is This Thing On? - art inspired by comedians. As with most Gallery 1988 shows, there's a very wide variety of styles so you're bound to encounter something up your alley. I love this Sarah Sae Soh Eddie Murphy piece but it's just one among tons that I enjoyed.

via Jessica.

I recall hearing an NPR Story about an upcoming Showtime series entitled Episodes about a husband / wife writing team that has a successful UK series optioned for a US version. They travel to LA and, unsurprisingly, things start to fall apart as the Hollywood team wrangles their show from the intelligent BBC show it was, to a watered down version featuring Matt LeBlanc.

Turns out, said show has started airing. It's an intriguing premise (and a realistic one) but I was sold when I saw that Tamsin Greig was one of the lead characters - her work in Black Books is among my favorite. There are also a host of notable supporting actors - namely Daisy Haggard and Kathleen Perkins - that really enrich the show. The first two episodes are floating around out there and I think it's going to be a series worth keeping up with.. as long as it doesn't do what most US series do and go on forever. One to two seasons max, please.

I must admit, the demo of Word Lens really blew my mind but the practicality of it short of fell short. I love its potential more than its actual implementation. I feel very similarly with the new announcement from Google regarding Google Translate: Conversation Mode; an upgrade to their Translate Android app that lets you carry on a legitimate voice conversation with someone speaking Spanish (more languages available later). It's the closest thing we've seen to a legitimate universal translator and that is exciting. The early demo is a bit rough - but I'm still excited it exists and look forward to see where they take it next.

Ganked from Chad.

Designer Joey Roth is probably best known for his Ceramic Speakers; as they appeal to the Internet / audiophile crowd the most but I find myself particularly smitten with his Sorapot teapot. The product design / functionality are great and the example video is a thing of beauty.

I wish he had more offerings on his site beyond the three items shown but given that they're all top notch; I'll take what I can get.

Heads up via Jeremy.

There are a handful of photos from Stephen Shore that seem to originate from some time ago. Without any supplemental information to go along with them, there's no way to tell when they were actually taken but I choose to believe they were taken recently of a town where modernization hasn't been a high priority.

There are also some great sets of American Surfaces and a Glenfiddich campaign that you should take a peek at. Quality stuff.

via Courtney.

I haven't spent much time in the past few years partaking in the Sunday evening animated offerings of FOX - too much Seth MacFarlane for my blood - but thanks to a heads up from Mr. Curry I checked out their newest series; Bob's Burgers. The show features the voice work of H. Jon Benjamin, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, Dan Mintz and a bunch more. You can watch the first episode in its entirety and I recommend you do.. it's pretty much firing on all cylinders right from the get go.

The Mt.Augustine Volcano is located in southcentral Alaska and, apparently, spits an ash cloud that looks too surreal for words. This image from Thren09 is gorgeous but doesn't even look real.

via Kate

If you haven't seen the Coen Brothers True Grit yet, do yourself a favor and go see it today... it will not disappoint. If you have seen it, take some time to read through this NPR interview covering all sorts of topics - including casting, working with horses and the ominous lack of contractions in the dialogue.

After that, read this Jeff Bridges feature regarding his earlier works and the argument that, for whatever reason, he's never properly appreciated for the phenomenal job he does with whatever role is thrown his way.